This invention relates to satellite delivery of TCP/IP compatible content. More particularly, this invention relates to a removable insertion card, and method of its use, in a satellite transmission system to provide integrated receiver/routers with the ability to distribute TCP/IP compatible content into a computer network.
The Internet is an enormous network of computers through which digital information can be sent from one computer to another. The Internet""s strengthxe2x80x94its high level of interconnectivityxe2x80x94also poses severe problems for the prompt and efficient distribution of voluminous digital information, particularly digitized imaging, audio, or video information.
Internet service providers (ISP""s) have attempted to accelerate the speed of delivery of content to Internet users by delivering Internet content (e.g,, TCP/IP packets) to the user through a satellite broadcast system. One such system is the direct-to-home (xe2x80x9cDTHxe2x80x9d) satellite delivery system such as that offered in connection with the mark, xe2x80x9cDirecPC.xe2x80x9d In these DTH types of systems, each subscriber or user of the system must have: (i) access to a satellite dish; (ii) a satellite receiver connected to the satellite dish and mounted in the user""s PC; and (iii) an Internet back channel in order to request information from Internet Web sites.
The DTH system is thus quite costly, since each user must have its own receiver and connection to a satellite dish. The DTH system is also somewhat difficult to deploy since the satellite receiver is mounted in each DTH user""s PC.
The DTH system also does not take advantage of any pre-existing satellite systems, and it often is a single carrier system, dedicated to the delivery of Internet content to the user. It does not allow the user flexibility to receive, much less distribute to others, other types of services, such as non-Internet radio broadcast or faxing services for example. The DTH systems also typically modify the IP packets at the head end, thus introducing significant processing delay through the need to reconstruct packets on the receiving end.
DTH systems may also utilize the DVB standard, in which event the system might broadcast other services. DVB systems, however, utilize a statisitical data carrier. For this and other reasons, the DVB systems often cause significant additional delay due to the need to reconstruct packets from the statistically mulitplexed carrier sent through DVB system.
The DTH system is also typically quite limited in its bandwidth capabilities. The consumer DirecPC system, for example, is limited to 440 kbps, thus limiting its effectiveness as a reliable, flexible, and quick distribution vehicle for Internet content, particularly voluminous content, to all users of the system through the one carrier.
Another system used by ISP""s and others to deliver Internet content through satellites is the use of commercial or professional quality satellite receivers in conjunction with traditional routers connected into an ISP LAN or similar LAN for delivery the received content through its LAN to its subscribers either on the LAN or through modems and telecommunications lines interconnecting the modems. (See Prior Art FIG. 3.) These types of separate receiver-and-router satellite systems have typically required use of traditional satellite data receivers with integrated serial, often RS-422 types, of interface or data outputs. The data output is connected into the router, which then converts the data into Ethernet compatible output and routes and outputs the Ethernet onto the LAN.
The applicant has discovered that these prior art data receiver and separate router systems present several problems. For example, the traditional data receivers are relatively inflexible and support only one or two services; and the use of a separate router is expensive. In addition, these types of systems usually employ a DVB transport mechanism, which not well suited to transmitting Internet and similar types of content for a number of reasons. One reason is that, as noted above, the DVB transport protocol and mechanism add substantial delays into the system. Another is that, as the applicant has discovered, the DVB transport mechanism utilizes excessive amounts of bandwidth.
The applicants have invented an Ethernet/Router card, method of its use in a satellite receiver, and overall TCP/IP compatible satellite transmission system. The Ethernet/Router card enables the satellite receiver to provide the service of receiving a broadcast of TCP/IP compatible information or content, and route and output the information or content content in Ethernet format directly onto a LAN or other Ethernet computer connection. The Ethernet/Router card preferably includes an internal router and is preferably compatible with protocols, including UDP and SMTP, which enable the card to properly route the TCP/IP compatible content onto the LAN or other Ethernet computer connection.
The Ethernet/Router card also preferably includes one or more serial outputs or ports in order to provide data services or connectivity in addition to that provided through the Ethernet port. The Ethernet/Router card preferably is removably insertable, and hot swappable, into a slot in the satellite receiver.
The applicant""s satellite transmission system, and particularly its Ethernet/Router card, are preferably adapted to process each IP packet as an entire block, eliminating the need to break up or reconstruct packets of IP data at the receiving end. The preferred system thus speeds up the processing, reception, and distribution of the IP data through the system.
There are other aspects and features of the invention that will become apparent as the specification proceeds. It is to be understood, however, that the scope of the invention is to be determined according to the accompanying claims.
It is an object of the invention to distribute TCP/IP compatible content by satellite.
It is an advantage of the present invention that it provides an Ethernet/router card that can be mounted in a satellite receiver quickly, easily, and economically.
It is another advantage of the present invention that it provides a satellite receiver with the capability of receiving TCP/IP compatible content and routing and distributing it onto a LAN or other computer network without need for a router to route the content onto the LAN or network.
It is still another advantage that the preferred card is hot swappable and may be removed from the receiver without interfering with any other services provided by the receiver.
It is still another advantage of the present invention that the preferred card can be used in a receiver that can deliver other services, through other cards, in addition to those provided by the present invention itself.
A still further advantage is that it provides satellite distribution of TCP/IP compatible content the need for each PC receiving the content through the receiver to have its own dish or its own satellite receiver.
An additional advantage is that the present invention provides satellite TCP/IP distribution to PC""s without having a satellite receiver being mounted in a PC and subject to the instability of the PC environment.
Yet an additional advantage is that the present card can preferably provide data services in addition to delivery of Internet content. Another advantage is that the satellite receiver in which the card is inserted preferably can provide yet additional services through other cards inserted in slots in the receiver.
Another advantage is that existing networks of satellite receivers can be adapted to deliver Internet services by mere insertion of the present cards in the receivers, without having to replace the existing networks.
It is also an advantage of the present invention that the present system and insertion card preferably provides the ability to deliver TCP/IP content to Ethernet LAN""s without need for custom software.
Another advantage is the present invention is that, both the overall system and the Ethernet/Router card in particular, process IP packets without modification or separation of the contents of the packets. The applicants"" satellite transmission system and the present Ethernet/Router card are thus easier to implement; and since they process each IP packet as an entire block with no need to reconstruct packets on the receiving end, the system and the Ethernet/Router card more quickly process and route the IP packets from the head end to an associated LAN on the receiving end.
There are many other objects and advantages of the present invention. They will become apparent as the specification proceeds. It is to be understood, however, that the scope of the present invention is to be determined by the accompanying claims and not by whether any given embodiment achieves all objects or advantages set forth herein.